1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to wavelength-converted semiconductor light emitting devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor light-emitting devices including light emitting diodes (LEDs), resonant cavity light emitting diodes (RCLEDs), vertical cavity laser diodes (VCSELs), and edge emitting lasers are among the most efficient light sources currently available. Materials systems currently of interest in the manufacture of high-brightness light emitting devices capable of operation across the visible spectrum include Group III-V semiconductors, particularly binary, ternary, and quaternary alloys of gallium, aluminum, indium, and nitrogen, also referred to as III-nitride materials. Typically, III-nitride light emitting devices are fabricated by epitaxially growing a stack of semiconductor layers of different compositions and dopant concentrations on a sapphire, silicon carbide, III-nitride, or other suitable substrate by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), or other epitaxial techniques. The stack often includes one or more n-type layers doped with, for example, Si, formed over the substrate, one or more light emitting layers in an active region formed over the n-type layer or layers, and one or more p-type layers doped with, for example, Mg, formed over the active region. Electrical contacts are formed on the n- and p-type regions.
The wavelength of light emitted by the active region may be shifted by positioning a wavelength converting material such as a phosphor or dye in the path of light emitted by the active region. The wavelength converting material absorbs the light emitted by the active region and emits light at a different peak wavelength which is typically longer than the peak wavelength of light emitted by the active region. FIG. 1 illustrates a wavelength-converted semiconductor light emitting device, described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,870,311. In the device of FIG. 1, a light-emitting semiconductor device 32 is disposed in a reflective cup 34. A layer 44 of transparent material 36 is disposed on one or more surface of device 32. Nanoparticles 38 and phosphor particles 40 are dispersed in material 36. Examples of suitable nanoparticles include nanoparticles of metal oxides, nitrides, nitridosilicates, and mixtures thereof. Suitable metal oxides may include, but are not limited to, calcium oxide, cerium oxide, hafnium oxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, and combinations thereof. Nanoparticles of such metal oxides having sizes ranging, for example, from about 2 nm to about 10 nm are available, for example, from Degussa-Huls AG of Frankfurt/Main Germany. Suitable nanoparticles for such implementations may also include nanoparticles of II-VI semiconductors such as zinc sulfide, zinc selenide, cadmium sulfide, cadmium selenide, cadmium telluride, and their ternary or quaternary mixtures, and nanoparticles of III-V semiconductors such as III-nitrides, III-phosphides, and mixtures thereof. The nanoparticles are chosen to have a refractive index greater than that of the host material.
Transparent material 36 may be organic or inorganic and may comprise, for example, materials including but not limited to conventional epoxies, acrylic polymers, polycarbonates, silicone polymers, optical glasses, chalcogenide glasses, spiro compounds, and mixtures thereof.
Needed in the art are efficient designs for wavelength converted semiconductor light emitting devices.